Writing Effective Goals and Objectives

1 Writing Effective Goals and ObjectivesChristiane Herber-Valdez, TECH UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER EL PASOO ffice ofInstitutional Research andEffectivenessTraining ObjectiveThis training session is designed to assist staff and faculty in developing Effective Goals and Objectives for Institutional Effectiveness (IE) plansTEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER EL PASOO ffice ofInstitutional Research andEffectivenessAdministrative Unit Planning: Mission StatementReminder A mission statement is a brief statement of the core values and principles which communicate a sense of purpose and direction Your program/department s IE plan should be structured like an upside-down pyramid Begin your plan with the broadest element: mission statement TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER EL PASOO ffice ofInstitutional Research andEffectivenessAdministrative Unit Planning: Goals After the mission statement is constructed, Goals are developed to turn the mission into statements that communicate desired end-results Goals turn broad, long-range concepts (core values/overall purpose) into usable statements that describe what you want to achieve TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER EL PASOO ffice ofInstitutional Research andEffectivenessAdministrative Unit Planning: Objectives After Goals have been developed, specific Objectives are determined to communicate how we will pursue our Goals Objectives are the specific action steps we need to take to achieve our goalsTEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER EL PASOO ffice ofInstitutional Research andEffectivenessGOALS vs.

2 OBJECTIVESC ommon ways of describing Goals versus Objectives : Goals are broad Objectives are narrowGoals are more long-termObjectives are more short-termGoals are general intentions Objectives are precise actionsGoals are often intangible Objectives are tangibleGoals are abstract Objectives are concreteGoals are difficult to measure Objectives are measurableGoalsare general statements of what we want to are specific , quantifiable, time-sensitive statements of what, how, and when we will achieve TECH UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER EL PASOO ffice ofInstitutional Research andEffectivenessGOALS vs. OBJECTIVESGOALSOBJECTIVESS omething you want to achieveActions you need to take to achieve your goalDefine direction and destinationSteps that get us thereWhere we want to goHow we will get thereBig picture,long-termSpecific tactics or strategies, short-termGOALSOBJECTIVESBe healthier(1 year)Eat more nutritious diet (daily)Eliminate sweets/fatty snacks (6 days/week)Exercise 5 times/weekBe debt free(5 years)Pay off car (extra $/month)Pay off credit cards (extra $/month)Save x amount $/month (to avoid creditpurchases)Learn to play piano (3 years)Purchase/borrow piano (within one month)Take lessons 1hr/weekPractice piano 30 minutes/dayTEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER EL PASOO ffice ofInstitutional Research andEffectivenessDeveloping SMARTG oals/ObjectivesS SpecificMMeasurableAAchievable (attainable, action-oriented)RRelevant (realistic, reasonable)

3 TTime-boundTEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER EL PASOO ffice ofInstitutional Research andEffectivenessUsing SMART Criteria specific The goal/objective is clear and unambiguous State exactly what is expected, who is involved, and how it is going to happen measurable We need concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the objective Measuring progress helps us stay on track and make informed decisions Achievable The goal/objective has to be attainable, reasonable, and manageable Should be neither out of reach, nor below standard for performance Relevant Goals /objective have to be important Aligned and integrated with mission and other Goals The work has to matter! Time-BoundGoals/ Objectives need to be grounded in a time frameCommitment to deadlines helps us prioritize and focusTEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER EL PASOO ffice ofInstitutional Research andEffectivenessDeveloping Goals and Objectivesfor your Unit IE Plan: Start with your Mission: what is your overall purpose?

4 Next, develop Goals based on your mission statement Remember, Goals turn the mission into desired end-results Goals state what we want to achieve It is suggested that you have a total 3-5 Goals Develop specific Objectives for each goal Remember, Objectives are specific actions/tactics/strategies Objectives answer what, how, and by when For each goal, you should have 3-5 Objectives Remember, Goals / Objectives should be SMARTTEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER EL PASOO ffice ofInstitutional Research andEffectivenessThe mission of the OIRE is to promote institutional effectiveness in order to support programs, faculty and staff in achieving the institutional mission. GOAL:The Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (OIRE) will developand implement a campus-wide process for Institutional Effectiveness. Objective 1:OIRE will work with TTUHSC EP leadership to determineTTUHSC EP organizational structure, divisions, and defineunits (Spring-Summer 2015).

5 Objective 2:OIRE will establishan IE Task Force with representation from all divisions, and organize regular, monthly task-force meetings starting in August 3:OIRE will developand present a series of workshops and materials to teach IE principles to task force members, and to facilitateand guidemembers through IE plan development (monthly, starting in September 2015).ExampleTEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER EL PASOO ffice ofInstitutional Research andEffectivenessNext Steps Please use the provided worksheet to develop your unit s Goals and Objectives Share workshop presentation and materials with colleagues, organize development of Goals / Objectives in area/division units. Submit completed worksheets to OIRE by Friday, November 13 Next meeting topics: Identifying Expected Outcomes Choosing appropriate Metrics/MeasuresTEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER EL PASOO ffice ofInstitutional Research andEffectiveness